Nairobi-based Arjen Westra is a journalist, screenwriter, actor, and author born in the Netherlands.

With over two decades of writing experience, Westra has spent the last 25 years writing articles for several Dutch newspapers, magazines and traveling the African continent as a tour guide.

He researched, photographed, and wrote four best selling guidebooks about several African countries.

He moved to screenwriting because some stories just should be told and mainstream media are not always the right channels to address issues.

Over the past years, he wrote a handful of screenplays. Most of his work has a multicultural/ social angle. Recently he made his debut as a writer/director of the short movie I just Missed you.

His work as a tour guide adds to his mission to bridge cultural gaps. He hopes it also adds a spark to the characters he writes.

Westra contributed to several books and radio broadcasts as an Africa-correspondent and acted in an award-winning Kenyan movie.

“As much as I am a writer, everything I love and have been doing in some stage of my life: photography, sound, light comes together in cinema. I have always been driven by taking away the misunderstanding between people and cultures.”

Westra is a member of the Kenyan Scriptwriters Guild reading committee. When he is not traveling he likes to coach young writers with their script and work on his own projects.